Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015. Reading assignment: New York Times articles and the occasional radio broadcast delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword realtime Or view Homers posting history .) To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homers profile. Also visit our general discussion thread.

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War Eastern Europe, 1941: Russian Leningrad and Ukraine Offensives  Operations, 2 December 1943-30 April 1944 Allied Advance to Volturno River, Reorganization, and Attack on Gustav Line (17 January-11 May 1944) Anzio-Cassino Area, 1943: Attempts to Cross Rapido and Garigliano Rivers, 17-20 January 1944. Anzio Landing, 22 January 1944. German Counterattack at Anzio, 16-19 February 1944 New Guinea and Alamo Force Operations: Clearing the Huon Peninsula and Securing the Straits, 19 September 1943-26 April 1944 Cartwheel, the Seizure of the Gilberts and Marshalls, and Concurrent Air and Naval Operations, 30 June 1943-26 April 1944 The Far East and the Pacific, 1941: Original Allied Strategic Concept, May 1943; Situation in Pacific, 1 November 1943

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posted on 02/08/2014 5:23:33 AM PST
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

In Italy... At the Anzio beachhead, the British 1st Division continues to battle German forces advancing toward Aprilia and “The Factory”.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front capture Nikopol. The German defenders of 6th Army (part of Army Group South) have successfully withdrawn. Nikopol is an important center for the production of manganese.

6
posted on 02/08/2014 5:27:26 AM PST
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

HMCS QuAppelle, a River-class destroyer (ex-HMS Foxhound), Cdr. D.C. Wallace DSC RCNR, was commissioned into the RCN in the UK. Although QuAppelles career in the RCN was somewhat unremarkable, she was very active while she served with the RN. At the outbreak of the war, she was a member of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet. On 14 Sep 39, she shared in the destruction of the long-range Type IX submarine U-39, KptLt. Gerhard Glates, CO, off the Hebrides. Foxhound and her sisters Faulkenor and Firedrake were screening the fleet carrier Ark Royal, while engaged in ASW operations. U-39 fired two torpedoes at the carrier, which detonated prematurely only 80 meters short of their target. The explosion alerted the escorts to the submarines presence and they eventually located and attacked her, forcing the submarine to the surface where the entire crew safely abandoned the boat before it sank. This was the first U-boat kill of the war. In Apr 40, Foxhound took part in the Second Battle of Narvik. In Nov 40, she was transferred to the famous Force H, based at Gibraltar, and saw extensive service in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. On 18 Jun 41, she shared with four of her F-class sisters in the destruction of the short-range Type II submarine U-138, OLtzS Franz Gramitzky, CO, west of Cadiz. Foxhound was also part of the escort for one of the dangerous Malta Convoys during this period. From Jan 42 to May 43, she served with the Eastern Fleet. On completion of this duty, she was transferred to the West Africa Command, based out of Freetown, Sierra Leone. She returned to the UK in Sep 43 for a much needed refit and was transferred to the RCN immediately afterwards.

GERMANY: U-1016, U-1275 launched.

U.S.S.R.: The Third Ukrainian Front captures Nikopol, a vital centre of manganese production.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Submarine HMS Sportsman torpedoed and sank the German POW Transport Petrella north of Souda Bay (Crete). 2,670 out of 3,173 Italian POWs where killed. German Guards did not open the POW rooms and fired at them while they tried to break out.

ALGERIA: Algiers: Two key agreements between the British government and the French committee of National Liberation were signed at a villa on the outskirts of Algiers today. One provides for mutual assistance in the war effort, free of cost on both sides. The other establishes a common rate of exchange of 200 Francs to the pound in all parts of the French empire. This will make it possible for something like normal trading to be resumed between the French territories.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Mimico commissioned.

U.S.A.: Jackson, Mississippi: The Royal Netherlands Military Flying School discontinues training at the Jackson Army Air Base.
Submarines USS Pickerel, Grenadier, Grampus, Amberjack laid down.

At 0145, SS Margit, a straggler from Convoy UR-108 since 7 February due to bad weather, was hit in the stern by one of two torpedoes fired by U-985 SE of Iceland. The ship first sank on even keel, but then settled by the stern and finally capsized. The master, 23 crewmembers and six gunners were lost.

7
posted on 02/08/2014 5:28:30 AM PST
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

February 4: "365 Jews from Salonika, Greece, who are under the protection of the Spanish government, leave the concentration camp at Bergen- Belsen, Germany, for Spain and safety.

February 8: "1,015 Jews are deported from Holland to Auschwitz. Among the deportees are children sick with scarlet fever and diphtheria; See February 10, 1944."

"In January 1944 SS functionary Adolf Eichmann distributed this secret telegram to all heads of the Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst in Brussels, Belgium. In it he ordered all Argentinean Jews residing in Belgium to the Bergen-Belsen, Germany, concentration camp. During the war, many Jews were protected by the Argentinean documents they carried. After the war, many Nazis and some Jewish survivors ended up in Argentina."

Interesting to see that the government of Spain, also a fascist state, and home to the Inquisition, is rescuing Jews from the Holocaust.

How on earth did that come about? First, why are Greek Jews under Spanish protection? Then,once transported to Bergen-Belsen, how did they get pulled out? I can understand them having some kind of protection in their home country or in Spain, but once transported I would figure Jews were beyond outside help.

10
posted on 02/08/2014 8:10:56 AM PST
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

In that photo of those captured Goering Division soldiers, a couple of them look downright happy to be prisoners of war. I’m sure they realized being captured by Americans saved their wretched lives from that bat crazy Hitler war.

"Franco also refused to hand over Spanish or foreign Jews to the NAZIs. Franco in fact probably saved more saved more Jews than any other European country. He did close the Spanish border in an act of solidarity with the NAZIs, but allowed Jews and others with Portuguese visas to transit Spain.

Historians debate the actual role of Franco and his ministers and their motivation. Because Franco himself is a highly controversial person, many authors have allowed their assessment oif Franco himself affect their assessment of Spain'spolicie toward Jewish refugees. Thus available assessments need to be treated with caution.

The consenus of historians suggest that Spain helped save 20,000-35,000 Jews by letting refugees pass through the country. Anotherv5,000 Jews were saved by Spanish diplomats."

Mussolini was also reluctant to turn Jews over to the Nazis, although I don’t think he was actively helping them leave Axis territory to Allied or neutral states. Unfortunately for the Italian Jews, eventually the Germans occupied much of Italy.

Franco's ancestors were Marranos, Spanish Jews who converted to Christianity to avoid expulsion. I'm not sure to what exten this was publicized in Spain or even if Hitler knew about it. Nor do we know if it was a factor in his policies toward the Jews.

I would also observe that by this time in the war it was clear Hitler had no resources to punish Spain.

Tax-chick: "Some people say Franco was a fascist, but I say he was a militaristic nationalist. Nothing mattered to him except Spain."

Of course, we can debate definitions of words all day, but when Mussolini first used the term "fascist" for his party, he was quite proud of it. Hitler modeled his own movement after Mussolini, though his name for it was "National Socialism". So was Hitler, like Mussolini, also "fascist". Of course he was.

Now Franco was the youngest of the three, came to power with the others' help and was their ally. His regime was modeled on that of fascist-Mussolini, and today people may wish to point out various distinctions in claiming Franco was not himself "fascist". But remember, at the time, the word "fascist" was not a disparaging term, and people like Franco would have no trouble embracing it.

If you think about an analogy... today everybody claims to be (small r) "republican" and (small d) "democratic", and yet when we see those words in a country's name -- i.e., "Democratic People's Republic of Whoknowswhere", we know immediately they are the opposite of either democratic or republican values. Most likely they are communists or fascists, regardless of what they claim.

And so with Franco's Spain. During WWII, Franco was Hitler & Mussolini's ally, supplying divisions of Spanish troops in the Soviet Union. After WWII, Franco became the United States' ally supplying military bases in Spain against the Soviet Union. During WWII he was a "fascist", after WWII when "fascist" became a bad word, Franco was a "nationalist".

But Franco was still Franco.

By the way, years ago I vacationed in Spain twice while Franco was in charge. Wonderful country, beautiful people, we had no problems there, and many happy memories.

I have no problem calling the Falange a fascist party, and Franco was quite happy allying with Hitler and Mussolini to give him the aid he needed to defeat the Loyalists. And he certainly appeared to be the opportunist in distancing himself from Hitler only as the war turned more and more against the Germans.

I do think, however, Franco's situation was more complex, which helps explain why he never joined his buddies as a combatant. Franco also was supported by the Carlists and other monarchists, as well as other conservative, pro-Catholic groups. The Falange was never a large party in terms of membership. While he was firmly in control of Spain, I doubt he would have had enough support to take Spain to war. Franco himself was deeply conservative and Catholic. He really didn't share a lot of Hitler's ideology. And remember, this is a country with a recent history of guerrilla warfare.

Plus, what did Spain want that going to war could provide? Unlike Italy, it didn't covet anything of its neighbors, with the possible exception of Moroccan territory, but with Vichy a German ally, Hitler would not have allowed that to happen. I suppose Hitler would have let him take Gibraltar, but Franco was too smart to go to war with Great Britain over a 2 1/2 sq. mile piece of territory.

I would also note this, that Franco allowed the Blue Division to fight alongside the Nazis, but only on the stipulation they would only deploy against the communists and would not serve in France or fight the Western Allies. Also, at least initially, they were all volunteers. So, clearly Franco did not want to go to war against the West. The general officer in him probably thought Hitler and Mussolini were nuts to take on the world, but if so I'm not aware he ever publicly said so.

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